Bah Humbug
by The.Peacock.Poet
Summary: When holiday-humbug Sakura Haruno learns that the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake has more than a little Christmas spirit, her interest is peaked. But when frantic and panicked Genma and Iruka show up on her doorstep one week from the holiday, she learns why her old sensei has an extra bounce to his step and why he's whistling corny Christmas carols: Kakashi still believes in Santa.


**Disclaimer**: I do not Naruto or any associated canon characters. If I did, Genma x Kakashi x Hidan x Itachi foursomes would happen a lot. Like _at least_ _once_ in _every _episode. And Kisame and Suigetsu would occasionally make appearances ;D

**A/N:**

This was originally a short, two page drabble I had written for a friend…but it kept getting longer…

This is literally; I shit you not, three years in the making…

I am not as active in the Narutoverse as I used to be, but I certainly shall keep writing fanfiction for it

**Warning:** Lemony Goodness.

* * *

The shrill ring of red-bucket bells met Sakura's ears as she left her apartment. With a roll of her eyes and a turn of the key in her hand, she grumbled a quick and bitter "Merry Fucking Christmas" to herself – her holiday shopping spree now commencing.

She turned from the door and pulled her hat down tighter over her earmuffs, the cold wind trying to creep through her clothing as she stepped out onto the snow-covered sidewalk. The white flakes crunched beneath her boots, and fell lightly on her head and shoulders as she zipped her jacket all the way up to the collar. She buried her hands deep in her pockets and began the long trek to the store, hoping it wasn't too crowed.

Not because she didn't like crowds, but because everyone and their brother seemed to sense she wasn't a fan of the giving season and would immediately rush to her with overly cheerful "Happy Holidays'" and "Merry Christmas'".

_Bah Humbug_, she thought.

The bells from earlier rang again as she passed the local pharmacy, the clerk dressed in the traditional red outfit, hat and all. He stood with one of the many 'charity' buckets that got passed around this time of year, and the gold bell in his hand clanged and rang with such an annoying quality that she prided herself for not ripping it from his hands when she passed.

Sakura watched with loathing as three young children crossed the street, the lot of them racing and laughing as they threw snowballs at each other. What enjoyment was there in throwing cold, hard balls made of frozen water? She didn't stop to ask them, for fear of being pelted herself, but continued on her journey, with only a few more blocks to go.

As the light snowfall dusted Konoha's already white streets with another layer, Sakura couldn't help but notice the line of clear blue Christmas lights that dangled from the roof and balcony of one of the apartment buildings downtown.

Only, that couldn't be right. That was Kakashi's apartment.

Maybe she was mistaken. It could be his neighbors, though she was sure that the small, browned, snow-covered cactus that sat on the railing was Mr. Ukki. It was Kakashi's apartment. "Hmm," She hummed. Which one of his friends had done that job for him? That seemed like a Genma prank.

Relief poured over Sakura when she entered the department store, it's warmth welcoming her with open arms. She unwound her scarf and left it dangling down over her shoulders as she grabbed a cart and began browsing the aisles, dodging the occasional old lady here and there. This wasn't so bad. Usually the store was packed with do-gooders and overly zealous shoppers.

When she turned the corner down the art supply aisle, a gift for Sai in mind, she was surprised to find Kakashi searching the shelves with false intent. She could hear the faint tune of him singing a song.

"…_**Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, to young and old, meek and the…"**_

"Kakashi-sensei." She said as she approached him, stopping her cart next to his.

"Hello, Sakura-chan." He answered, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "How've you been?"

She shrugged and let her eyes wander to his cart as she explained that she'd been alright, though the graveyard shift at the hospital was kicking her ass and that she needed a new pair of sandals for the summer because her new ninkin puppy had a knack for chewing everything.

His cart was full of an assortment of items. A bag of dog food, dog treats (many of them undoubtedly for Pakkun), a twelve pack of ramen, a jacket, a few books, a Cosmopolitan magazine (what on earth…?), cough syrup and Christmas ornaments. Lots of them. She could feel her brow lift with question as Kakashi went on with his happenings, though Sakura only caught one about his last mission with Sai.

"Do you see the prices on these paints?" He asked her after a few more moments of gazing at them blankly. "Sakura?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, ridiculous right? Everything goes up right before Christmas for all of us cheap bastards. I think they're trying to teach us a lesson, but we still come last minute." She smiled as she joked with him, her eyes nearly bugging out because he was right. They were very, very expensive.

"It does seem that way, yes." Kakashi frowned for a moment. "I'm usually not in village during the holidays. I think this is the first time in nearly fifteen years that I'm home. I finally got to put up my Christmas lights. Did you see them?"

Oh, no, Sakura pleaded in her mind, no, no, no, no, no. Kakashi did not just say that. Of all the people to share in her intense dislike for everything Christmas related it would be Kakashi…

"Yeah. They look great." Sakura said between clenched teeth, nearly choking on her words. "Did it take you long?"

"Not really, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Anything to make the Christmas season brighter." He laughed to himself about his bad pun as he settled on a set of sketching pencils for Sai's gift instead of the paint. "I'm putting up my tree tonight. You should come see it; it's a beauty, full and green. It smells amazing."

For a moment, Sakura wondered what it felt like to be run over by a team of pack mules, then a herd of elephants, and maybe a few horse-drawn carriages. Hell, while she was at it, why not a reindeer drawn sleigh? Anything would be better than the turn this conversation had taken. Kakashi was decorating for Christmas…willingly, and even seemed happy to be doing so.

Had elves kidnapped the real Kakashi? Oh, she hoped so.

"I could order take out or something and we could wrap our gifts. To be honest, I'm awful with wrapping paper." He continued.

She remembered the one-year he'd tried wrapping her birthday present. She wasn't quite sure how it happened but it'd caught fire spontaneously, been dropped in a bathtub, set on fire again, then soaked with coffee and to top it all off, instead of looking like a box with a new kunai set inside of it, the gift had looked like what she imagined to be wrapped dog shit. At least he'd tried. Then she thought of what her Christmas present might go through…while she hated the holidays, gifts were nice and she didn't want hers to look like he'd just pulled it from his garbage.

"Sounds like a date." She quipped with a fake smile.

Sakura acted like she didn't notice his eye shoot in her direction at her remark and instead pretended to be completely infatuated with a brush set. "I think I'll get Sai these."

Kakashi nodded and they pushed their carts down the aisle side by side, looking through the other things they passed. They must have looked like a couple to the older women watching them what with the way they smiled and whispered to each other.

Sakura sent them an evil, hating-Christmas glare. They immediately went back to their shopping as a pregnant quiet settled over she and Kakashi. _Awkward Turtle_, she mused.

"What are you doing Christmas Eve?" Kakashi asked, ending the silence between them because it seemed to now be frightening the older women who were shying away from them. "Have any hot dates?"

She wished she did. "No. After coffee with Naruto, I'm going to sit in my empty living room and wait for Santa to come through my front door bearing gifts. You?"

"You really should be asleep before midnight or else he won't come to your house." Kakashi informed her with an air of pride. "I'm probably going to hang around the house with a book and hot-chocolate. You know, the works. Oh, and I'll be baking cookies. Santa loves my special chocolate chip and raisin cookies."

Sakura smiled, "Uh-huh. I'm sure he does. Really, what are you doing? We could get lunch with Shikamaru and Temari. She's in town for the next two weeks."

Kakashi turned his head to look at her, another frown creasing his brow. He looked insulted. "I'm being very serious, Sakura."

"Really?"

"Yes. Don't you make cookies for Santa?"

Maybe that herd of elephants had run her over, and now she was dead or stuck in a coma dreaming, because Kakashi seemed very serious about making Santa Claus cookies. He was a fantastic liar, but she could usually tell the difference after knowing him for so long, and it seemed he was telling the truth.

"Oh, yeah. Totally." Sakura assured him as she fetched a few buy-one get-one free boxes of tampons. So far, it was the best thing that had happened all day.

She glanced at him sideways as he began whistling the tune to jingle-bells, and then deck the halls and the twelve days of Christmas in succession. Was he high? She was sure she remembered him trying drugs once when she was much younger, though… she and Naruto had been a fair distance away and it could have easily been a cigarette. Did he smoke?

Kakashi nodded, "Well, I think I have everything on my list. I'll see you later? Say…sixish?" he asked as they made their way back to the front of the store.

"Six." She affirmed. "Anything but ramen." She smiled as he moved into the checkout line.

Weirdest shopping encounter; Ever.

* * *

Sakura sat at her kitchen table with a few rolls of wrapping paper and a couple yards of clear tape. As she slowly worked at wrapping Naruto's gift, the constant knocking at her door was finally starting to grow on her nerves.

She hadn't answered ten minutes ago; did they think she'd answer now?

Obviously they did, because they were knocking louder. And in Morse Code, though the message was unclear.

So help her god if it was those damned carolers from last year wanting to sing her their rendition of Christmas classics again, she was going to murder them, and their 'White Christmas' would be a bloody red one.

"I'm coming." She yelled as she finished tucking in and taping the last corner of the decorative paper. She pushed back her chair from the table and padded to the door. She threw it open, settling her other hand on her hip.

"Took you long enough, you miser." Genma scolded with chattering teeth. "We need your help."

Sakura looked to Iruka, who smiled and waved politely in greeting. She nodded to him then looked back to a shivering Genma Shiranui. At least they weren't caroling. "What do you need? If you're asking me _again_ if you can be my pimp, the answer is _still_ no."

Iruka gave her an odd sort of look at this comment, and then slanted his eyes towards his companion suspiciously.

"No, no, nothing like that, not this time. Don't get your tinsel in a tangle... It's just, we've been assigned a mission and this is the first time in fifteen years Kakashi has been in the village for Christmas. We need someone to cover for us."

"Cover for you?" Did this have something to do with the odd conversation she'd had with said sensei just hours ago?

Genma and Iruka exchanged an anxious glance before sighing, "May we come in?"

She stepped back from the doorway and let them into her foyer. Genma rubbed his hands together trying to warm them as he began, "You see, long story short, Kakashi believes in Santa."

"You're kidding. I thought he was messing with me earlier when he said he was baking cookies."

"Oh no, he's very much serious." He assured her with a frown, "We've been supplying him with 'gifts from Santa' for the last few years. It's easy to drop them off when he's not home, but now he is and we have a mission so we can't do the job. Will you do it?"

_Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable._

"Sure. Just drop his gifts off here before you leave. Maybe I'll tell him Santa isn't real while I'm waltzing into his apartment to deliver presents."

Iruka cleared his throat, "We've _tried_. I wouldn't waste your time trying to explain to him that it's just a bunch of…well, shit. He won't listen."

"He still believes?" She stared incredulously.

"Yes."

"You're kidding, right? Please say you're kidding."

They both shook their heads. Sakura sighed and hung her head, her chin resting softly against her chest. "Great. Fine. Whatever. I'll do it. You'll owe me though."

"Thank you so much, Sakura." Genma said as he opened the door for he and Iruka to leave. "Merry Christmas." He called out as he waved to her and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Bah humbug." She muttered as she closed the door behind them. The sound of her ninkin's toenails could be heard coming from the kitchen as he strolled through the house.

Kakashi still believed in Santa. Why could she not fathom that?

Maybe because he was a seasoned killer? A man whose hands were stained with blood; who read porn in public for enjoyment, a man who… for Ino's lack of better words, knew how to make a woman climax using just four words (she briefly wondered just what those four were). Somehow, she didn't see a man like that making it onto Santa's "Nice List".

Two hours later found her knocking on Kakashi's front door with a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck; a hat that covered more than a good portion of her head, and her jacket zipped all the way to the collar. As she tapped on the door once more with her fist, she couldn't help but notice the sound of caroling from within the apartment.

_Oh, no_. He wasn't singing, was he? She cried a little inside, because when her ex-sensei answered the door he was dressed in a knitted reindeer sweater and donned a kitchen apron that said in large, elegant font:

_**Tis the Season, To Quit the Bitchin', Get in the Kitchen, and Make Santa Cookies!**_

She could feel bile rising at the back of her throat as Kakashi ushered her in. Where did you even buy things like that?

At least his home was warm, she thought, as she hung her jacket, hat and scarf on the rack by the door. His Christmas tree was settled in the corner on top of a snowflake themed skirt by the glass door leading out onto his balcony, and while it had yet to be fully decorated, as it only had white lights, even she had to admire its beauty. He hadn't been lying when he'd claimed it was full and green, she'd never seen a nicer looking conifer.

"Dinner will be done soon." He told her as he removed the apron and laid it on his table, "I made potpies."

"Sounds delicious." She told him as she settled on the couch by his bookshelf. She glanced about, cringing at the various holiday decorations he had strewn about. There was mistletoe in the doorway leading to his hallway, and a wreath hanging on his wall. Lights were wrapped around the frame of his balcony door and much to her horror; he had tiny little stick-on reindeer and snowmen plastered to his windows.

Sakura scratched at the back of her head as she watched Kakashi move about in his kitchen, preparing their dinner. "So, Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"You, uh, really get into this holiday season stuff, huh?"

He lifted his head, eye closing as he smiled at her over the counter. "Sure I do; don't you?"

Yeah, about that… "Oh, well… I'm not very good at decorating."

"I could help you." Offered Kakashi with another eye-crinkling smile as he slipped out of the kitchen and picked up the plates their potpies were on. He brought them across the living room, holding hers out to her as he took a seat next to her on his leather sofa.

She took it approvingly with a 'thanks' and held it under her nose, "It smells wonderful." She gently cut it open with the edge of the fork he'd also handed her.

He laughed as he lifted a fork to his own dinner, "I should hope so."

They ate in silence, the time passing marked only by the soft ticks and tocks from the clock hanging on the far side of the room and the light clink of silverware on glass plates. When she finished, Sakura held the small dish on her lap as she glanced at Kakashi, who ate facing away from her.

He wouldn't even show his face while they were in the comfort of his own home? She frowned. If there were a Santa, she would ask to see what he kept hidden under the mask. Surely it couldn't be that bad. Both Ayame and Teuchi from the ramen shop had seen his face before and were absolutely in love with it. She knew Kakashi was typically a humble man, but was he so humble that he felt he needed to hide? No one could be that attractive, could they?

Sakura smirked wryly as she slowly schemed a way to unmask her ex-sensei. She could put his belief in the red-clad fat man to use. She could 'write' a letter – and make a copy to show Kakashi later as proof she had written one – to Santa, and accidentally put it in Kakashi's mailbox, asking to see her old sensei's face and Kakashi himself would either be inclined to show her, to keep up his little charade, or prove her bullshit theory correct.

"Have you written to Santa, yet?" She purred with curiosity as he finished and turned back to her, black mask in place.

Kakashi appraised her for a moment, "I sent my letter out this morning, actually. Have you?"

Sakura shook her head, "I'm afraid not. I know what I want, but I'm not sure how to ask him for it."

"Oh." Kakashi said as he took her plate and his and slowly padded into his kitchen to set them in the dishwasher. She watched as he shuffled about a few things before coming back out to lean over the couch, his forearms placed on the headrest. "Well, I suggest just asking for it nicely in list form. Simple and effective."

"All right." She replied, "Shall I help you wrap your gifts?" And in some mysterious way, her genius letter was going to find it's way into Kakashi's mailbox as planned and then he would be forced to do the rest and she could die a happy woman.

"Yeah. I'll get them."

He left her for a moment, disappearing down the hallway to his room. She could hear the light rustle of wrapping paper and the flat sound of his feet against the hardwood floor before he reentered the den. He had rolls of Christmas themed shuriken print wrapping paper, and much to her dismay, an Icha Icha themed roll in one arm, and in the other, the bag of gifts from the store they'd been at earlier.

She could feel her eye twitch slightly. It was going to be a long evening.

They settled everything out on the floor and quickly set to it. At first the silence that settled over them was somewhat awkward but as soon as Kakashi started humming Where Are You Christmas from that stupid live-action Grinch movie, it became a strained, never ending one. Sakura wanted to open the box of shuriken in her hands and imbed the tiny throwing stars into her ears.

She wanted to run for the hills, and slam him upside the head with the stupid roll of paper he was fighting with. "It unrolls, Kakashi-sensei. Like this…" She slowly showed him how to undo wrapping paper with gentle fingers, rolling it out flat against the floorboards.

"It's easier just to tear it and tape it on in pieces." He muttered as he copied her, laying the decorative side down on the wooden floor in front of him.

She smiled a bit as she watched him cut the edge, then looked back down at the nearly perfect wrapping job in her hands. She held the last corner in place and reached out for the tape, Kakashi's hand bumping hers as he too reached for it.

Kakashi jerked his hand away quickly and waited until she was done to tape his. She eyed him for a moment, but shrugged away his strange reaction as she began wrapping Sai's sketching pencils.

"Do you want something to drink?"

Green eyes glanced up to Kakashi as she made the first fold, "Sure."

"Alcoholic or non?" He asked too casually as he stood and made his way to his kitchenette.

"I can't legally drink for another three months, Sensei."

He shrugged, "A single drink won't hurt you, _Sakura_." He turned to his fridge and opened it. "You're being supervised by an adult."

She could hear the light clink of bottles bumping one another, and it dawned on her slowly that he'd dropped the _–chan_ appellation from her name. That was a little personal, she thought curiously, but brushed the musing aside as he handed her a tinted green bottle that said_ Konoha Ale: Hard Liquor Ninety Proof_ on the side.

Was he trying to kill her? She couldn't even drink wine straight at his birthday party, what made him think she could drink this? She sniffed it cautiously. "This smells dreadful."

"Tastes as bad as it smells." He told her with a frown as he returned to his spot on the floor. He took a quick swig from his bottle through the mask and shook his head at the bitter taste. "Just drink it quick."

"Why do you buy it if it tastes bad?" She asked as she took an experimental sip. She nearly gagged at its astringent flavor, "This is fucking horrible."

"It's cheap and gets the job done quicker than anything else I've ever drank." He admitted with another head jerking swallow and uncharacteristically melancholy tone. He set his drink next to him on the floor and slowly started working on the other gifts.

She could feel her hair stand on end every so often, it told her she was being watched but when she would look up at Kakashi to confirm her suspicions, his eye would be quickly averted elsewhere, often times to his tape tangled fingers.

It made her inner-self kind of dance about. She liked the male attention, if she were being honest. Sakura knew that, yes it was wrong, _morally_. There was a fourteen-year age difference between them, and he was once her teacher.

And he _liked_ the holidays. Loved them even.

But – Oh, hell. He smelled so good, though… _so enticing_.

When the hell had he gotten close enough to her that she could smell him? She inwardly protested that he was invading her personal space, taking another sip of the nasty drink. He was right; it did the job. Heat was already spreading through her belly and cheeks and she'd barely made a dent in it.

He was looking at her again she could feel it. She could hear it as he slid even closer to her, the soft muffled sound of his pants against the polished wood surface. Her face warmed fiercely as she cleared her throat, pretending not to have noticed the sudden proximity change.

As opposed to the warm boil in her stomach, the heat directly south in the pit of her belly began to send off warning signals. She liked the attention a little too much and surely his canine sharp nose would soon pick up the scent of her budding arousal.

She took a few more quick sips, wondering just what the hell was in that stuff that was turning her insides to mush, and finished with the book that needed to be wrapped. She reached out for the tape once more, her arm bumping lightly into his. This time he didn't pull away, he simply turned his head and gazed at her closely.

"Problem?" She asked, trying to focus intently on wrapping the next book. No doubt he saw through her though, because he chuckled lightly. Stupid fucking man and his stupid fucking better-than-Kiba nose.

"No, no problem. Just… observing." He remarked with a humored tone, grin lighting his flushed but hidden face.

"Then finish wrapping that box. It's taking you forever." She told him flatly, lifting the green bottle to her lips once more.

She shook her head and squeezed her eyes close as she swallowed the rest of what remained of her drink. She'd have to remember that if she wanted to get dumb-fuck drunk in a short amount of time that Konoha Ale was her drink. She'd barely finished the first bottle and already the room seemed to want to spin and she wanted to do bad things to Kakashi, good bad things. This shit was like an aphrodisiac on steroids.

Slowly, she cut the paper and began folding it. "Ouch!" She hissed as the edge of the themed shuriken paper sliced her left index finger. She quickly brought it to her mouth and sucked lightly on it in an attempt to ease the stinging.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, though Sakura was unable to tell if he was being sincere or if his concern was just an excuse to lean closer to her.

He leaned over her, shoulders touching, looking at her lips where he finger was hidden. Softly he grabbed her wrist in his large hand and pulled it outward so he could see the wound. "Would you like a Band-Aid?"

For such an innocent question, the way he asked it made it sound oddly erotic. Like Band-Aid was a euphemism for something sinister and sexual. Who knew? Maybe in Kakashi's little world, it was. At the moment, the last thing she needed was for Kakashi to get all… flirty.

"It will be fine, thanks though." She assured him, trying to pull her hand back into her person.

Kakashi's grip tightened. "No, I think you should do something with it." The form of his tongue moving over his bottom lip could be made out through the mask. "I could… _kiss_ it better." He whispered, dark eyes focused intently on hers.

Oh, she bet he could, but would he have the audacity to actually do it? Sensible Sakura screamed that it was time to leave because he was very serious and would just that, but the Curious Sakura wanted to see presently how far she could push him. This would certainly find Kakashi's way onto Santa's Naughty list. The choice remained: Leave or tease?

_Tease_. What could a little shameless playing hurt?

"There are better things to kiss." She countered softly, no longer struggling to get her hand back. Kakashi's thumb lightly traced circles at the pulse point of her wrist, sending fingers of pleasure racing up Sakura's spine. She liked his touch a little too much.

"There certainly are." He breathed, hot breath tickling her cheek. "Warm, delicious things."

Well, she couldn't argue with that reasoning. There were a number of things she could think of him kissing instead on her person, and none of them were her fingers. Half-lidded green eyes fell to the fingers that held her arm. Kakashi had large, masculine hands with long, slender fingers. Oh the things she bet those hands could do to a woman.

She wanted to find out.

"Like… lips?" She murmured quietly, leaning forward just enough so that only a breaths-width remained between them.

His fingers released her wrist and moved to the side her face. They gently curled around the back of her neck as his thumb lightly stroked the skin right below her ear. "That's a start."

Still masked, he pressed his mouth to hers. Her heart fluttered rapidly in her chest and it beat erratically as they began to explore this newfound pull between them. She prayed it was the alcohol, pleaded that it was the dizzying effects of Konoha Ale that pushed her toward such promiscuous behavior. He was her old teacher, for pities sake, and under normal circumstances, she would never have even considered… _this_… but the way his lips so tenderly and urgently moved against hers was beginning to cloud all thought process.

Sakura's primal urges demanded she laid him out flat on the floor and take him then and there; rough and wild, under the light of his Christmas tree but reasonable Sakura kept trying to push forward through the fog. If she just gave in to this, where would it take them? His bedroom likely, if they were lucky enough to make it there.

God knew she wanted to. It had been a very long time since she'd been with a man, and Kakashi was one fine specimen…

His ministrations stopped and he pulled back to gaze at her with silver brows pulled down in unease.

She scolded herself inwardly; she'd been so caught up in the morality of that she'd forgotten this sort of thing took two…

"…If you don't want to do th-"

Fuck it. She could barter right and wrong with herself later. She silenced him with her own kiss, slanting her lips readily against his. She took either side of his head in her hands, angling herself toward him as he shifted onto his knees. As he moved, the soft fabric of his mask tickled her chin causing her to let out a light noise, somewhere between a giggle and sigh. It made him smile wolfishly and nip lightly at her bottom lip.

That stupid mask needed to go.

Returning his little gesture with a teasing bite, she pushed her fingers into his hair and pulled him deeper into the kiss.

When they parted to catch their breaths, he lifted a single hand to the bridge of his nose and dropped the black material to pool around his neck. He was handsome, in a rather rugged way with a defined jaw and full, shapely lips with the top one just a bit fuller than the bottom. His nose was straight, though a trained medical eye could see that it had been broken and corrected on more than one occasion. Perhaps in this light she could look past the Christmas obsession.

A laugh rumbled deep in his chest telling her that she'd been staring, but another wolfish grin, this one visible, from those gorgeous pink lips had Sakura pulling him down and over her in a heated frenzy. One arm wrapped around his neck while she fisted her other hand in the collar of his stupid shirt.

That was most definitely not the alcohol boiling below her belt.

One of his forearms found the floor beside her head to hold him up which left the other free to wander as they kissed, tongues tangling together in a wet, erotic embrace for control. His fingers gently touched the side of her jaw and slowly moved to her neck, his thumb briefly touching on her pulse point, then traipsed lightly down her side to her hip where he pushed his exploring fingers beneath the heavy fabric of her sweater.

Her skin jumped at the first contact, his cold fingertips dancing playfully over her belly. She could feel him laugh once more, pressing his hips into hers as she let a weak moan escape.

The intimidating pressure of Kakashi's cock on her thigh told her he was just as into her as she was him, that he was just as aroused. "…Kakashi." She breathed as his mischievous hand reached her bra, tickling right below her breasts.

"Mm, Sakura?" He teased, hand crawling higher. His teeth grazed her jaw wonderfully, leaving pretty red marks in his wake.

She whimpered wantonly while arching into his touch, gasping as he slipped his nimble, slender fingers into the lacy cup. He circled the budded peak of her nipple with the calloused pads of his digits, kisses moving from her jaw to her neck. He licked the tender skin below her ear.

"Oh, Kakashi." She shuddered.

His teeth lightly scraped against her neck as he moved lower before pinching sharply. Sakura panted beneath him, mewling with pleasure, as he loved lightly on her throat with wet kisses and quick nips. Her hands slid over his shoulders, bunching the wool of his reindeer sweater as she dug her nails into his back.

His hand continued, moving to her other breast as his lips reached her collarbone.

"Where do you want me, Sakura?" Kakashi purred, his voice rumbling deep within his throat. Oh, she liked the way that sounded. His voice, naturally wonderful, was like liquid gold when it was thick with pleasure. He grunted softly as she tugged at his shirt, attempting to ride it up to his shoulders. "I'll take it off if you answer me." He teased with a humor to his tone and a light kiss right below her chin, where her heart beat erratically beneath the skin.

"Inside me, _sensei_."

Really - Inside me, sensei? Of all the cliché things she could have said, she chose the sluttiest one. She would have smacked herself upside the head had it not been for Kakashi groaning in response to her reply and taking off that ridiculous sweater.

That was more like it, she mused with a hazy mind. Glazed green eyes roved over pale, toned flesh as he sat back on his haunches to get the thing over his head. She sat up and raked her nails down his chest and abdomen, smirking up at him as he tossed his sweater to some forgotten corner of his apartment. He trailed his fingers up and down her arms as she rubbed his chest before tightly gripping her hands and pinning them above her head as he pushed her back to the floor. He held them there with one hand, leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers hungrily, all the while slowly sneaking his unoccupied hand to the waistbands of her skirt and leggings.

"Are you wet for me, Sakura?" He breathed.

In response, she rolled her hips into his. She sighed at the feeling of his erection pressing against her. "Yes." She hissed as he pushed his hand beneath the scant material of her thong. He obviously noted the feeling of lace as well because he laughed again and peered down at her with a crooked, sexy grin and dark mismatched red and blue eyes.

"Damned sexy." Kakashi drawled, softly stirring and stroking the damp pink curls on her mound.

Under normal circumstances, Sakura would have been mortified. All the men she'd been with before had preferred a clean shave – she generally did as well for the sake of aesthetics – but she was single and it was the dead of winter. So it took her by surprise when Kakashi closed his eyes tightly, mumbling a heady and arousing: "_So _fucking _sexy_" as he continued his ministrations against her unshaven-ness.

She felt herself clench tightly in anticipation of his touch and nipped at his bottom lip as he lowered his head again in unison with his fingers. He parted her slick folds with two fingers and gently rubbed her clit in slow, torturous circles with his thumb. "Ahh…" She whimpered; eyes squeezing shut as fingers of pleasure raced through her and down her spine to gather at her sopping core.

"You _are_ wet." He whispered against her ear, taking the lobe between his teeth. Kakashi sank his fingers into her pussy, pressing into her with one, swift motion. She cried out, yelling his name as he pressed his fingers deeper within her with each undulated rise of her hips. "Christ, I want to fuck you." His sultry admittance came with a harsh moan, his jaw falling open slightly as he pushed another finger into her. She was so wet and tight and warm.

"I think that would put us both on Santa's naughty list." She teased with a bit-lip grin, fingers tightening in the coarse locks of his hair as he fingered her. She cried out incoherently as his long fingers curled and hit that spot within her.

He lifted his head and stared down at her as though he didn't understand what she was talking about. After a long, strained moment understanding flashed through his gaze. As fast as humanly possible with a raging erection, Kakashi quickly distanced himself to the other side of the room, tripping over wrapped gifts in the process.

What. The. Hell?

Stupid Sakura, she chided. No, stupid Kakashi. How dare he leave her horny and frustrated like this? She wanted to throw everything to the wind and attack him and ravage him.

"What are you doing?" She finally asked, pushing herself up from the floor.

He shook his head. "You almost got me on Santa's Naughty List."

And he wasn't being naughty when he'd had his fingers buried inside of her? She gave him an unconvinced look. "You're kidding."

"I'm not. Had you not said anything, who knows what would've happened?"

"Um…" That was rhetorical right?

"I wouldn't have gotten Christmas presents! I would have gotten coal in my stocking!"

That was an un-Kakashi like reaction. Of course, he'd been un-Kakashi like the entire day.

Sakura tried to hide her grin as an abnormally perverted thought crossed her mind. _I would have gotten you in my stocking,_ she sang in her head. Though, Kakashi seemed set on not continuing what they'd started.

It meant Sakura would be taking a warm shower as soon as she got home, and as Ino often claimed, showers were good for three things: crying your eyes out until you couldn't cry anymore; washing and cleansing yourself of whatever it was that made you filthy in the first place; as well as masturbating and/or fucking until your knees gave out beneath you and you found yourself in oblivion. As crude and as lewd as her ideas were, Sakura had to agree wholeheartedly.

"I think I need to go. It's getting late and uh, you know, I've got things to do early tomorrow…so, yeah." She stood, righted herself and her clothing and marched to the door without even so much as a glance back at Kakashi.

She could feel him creeping behind her, could smell him as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. She swallowed in trepidation as his hands settled on her hips, pulling her ass flush against his hard dick. His lips ghosted her right ear, lightly blowing against it before whispering a hot, threatening: "This is far from over."

When she turned to look at him in shock, he was gone. Not just gone from behind her, but gone from the den-kitchenette. She shuddered nervously, and left as quickly as possible. She zipped up her jacket as she descended the stairs of his apartment building, shaking her head in astonishment.

What had just happened up there? She asked herself, pushing the door open to exit out onto the sidewalk.

"Oh, hey! Forehead!" A familiar voice called out.

Sakura glanced over her shoulder to see Ino running at her, donning a light blue peacoat, white washed jeans and overly fluffy black boots. In her arms were large, brown paper bags. Sakura half-smiled.

"Hey."

"I'm glad I caught up with you." The blonde declared, smiling happily. "I was afraid I wasn't going to get to wish you a Merry Christmas this year. I know we were going to head out to that nice little restaurant over by Naruto's place on the twenty-fifth, but I have to cancel."

Sakura sighed. "Mission?"

"Yeah, to a border village. It's a simple escort, but it'll take a couple of days. I'm sorry." Ino confessed demurely. "Rain check?"

Begrudgingly, Sakura nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure I'll find someway to kill the time."

Ino nodded, "Sure. Maybe you could go prowling for a good time. If you get lonely enough, you could always rent a stripper."

"Pervert." The medic accused playfully.

She shrugged, shifting the bags in her arms. "I've been called worse. Say, what were you doing back there?"

Sakura blushed, the warmth returning to her belly at the reminder, despite the chill of the air. "Just helping Kakashi-sensei with some of his Christmas things."

"You hate Christmas. He seems to like it a lot." Nudged Ino. "What gives?"

She sighed once more. "He asked me if I would help him wrap gifts. Remember my birthday present that one year?"

"Right, right… good call."

"Mmm…shit, I forgot my hat." Sakura cursed angrily.

That damned man had her mind scattered everywhere. Green eyes glanced sideways at her friend. She was going to be taking the Yamanaka girls shower advice later. She knew it. A light bubbling laugh escaped her lips. Kakashi was probably in his shower wanking one off at this very moment – he'd certainly been aroused. She could still feel the pressure of him on her leg and hip.

Blue eyes glinted suspiciously. "Are you okay, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded vigorously, wiping a tear of amusement from her eye. "Yeah, I just…remembered that I left my hat at home… because the puppy chewed it up."

"I forgot about him. How's he doing?" Ino asked, though they were nearing her house.

"He's great, aside from the chewing. I didn't think I'd like raising a ninkin, but he's fun. I really love him." Sakura shoved her hands deep into her pockets.

"That's awesome. Well, goodnight… before you leave, what were you drinking?"

Sakura's eyes widened with horror. "Why?"

"I can smell it. Very…"

"Strong?"

She shook her head, ponytail shaking with it. "Not quite the word I'm looking for… peculiar? Anyway, good night, Sakura."

"Night, Ino." Sakura waved as she continued on her cold trek. It was made worse by the once light snowfall hammering down on her in sheets as though trying to burry her in its icy arms. She shuddered. She was cold and horny. She hated being cold and hated being left out to dry when it came to the latter.

When Sakura finally returned home that night, exhausted, and slightly buzzed - she was still suffering from disbelief and the dreaded wrapping-paper paper cut which had led her into a darker, more sinister relationship with her old sensei - she found three large boxes marked to Kakashi from Santa on her kitchen table.

Unless Kris Kringle himself came bounding through her door, reindeer and all, she wouldn't be able to believe a word of this. Suspicion was dominating her way of thinking after all but screwing Kakashi. He was a grown man of thirty-four and she just could not wrap around head around his believing in that fat bastard especially not after his reaction to her Naughty List question.

Then again, she never would have been able to wrap anything around the chance that she and he would ever be so intimate. Even worse, she'd never been so hot and turned on with any of her previous lovers. Something about Kakashi sent her lady-bits into over drive. She still thought it had something to do with that Konoha Ale.

She groaned with exasperation as she sauntered to her bathroom through her bedroom. Meiyo, her mix-breed ninkin, slept soundly at the foot of her bed. As she entered the small white tiled room she cranked the silver knobs of her shower-bathtub and undressed as she waited for the water to warm up. When it had, she stepped into the cabin and under the stream.

She stood for a few long moments under the warm sprays letting it warm her snow-chilled bones. It felt good, though not as amazing as Kakashi's fingers had. Gently she caressed her abdomen, moving her hands up to her breasts to squeeze them gently. She let a shuddery sigh escape; mewling with pleasure as she allowed herself to imagine that it was her ex-sensei touching her body. That it was Kakashi making her pulse pound.

She rolled her nipples between her fingers and bit down on her lip to keep from yelling his name.

"Sakura-chan?" Meiyo's sleepy voice called.

Fuck. Today was _just not_ her day. "Yes, Meiyo?"

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan? Are you crying?" The puppy asked from the bathroom door, unable to see Sakura behind the shower curtain. She imagined his head tipped, his single standing ear perked up.

Sakura stilled her hands as she heard the light click of his claws against the floor. "Yeah, I'm okay. Go back to bed, all right?"

"I can help?" He suggested happily, his tail smacking bluntly against the doorway

She couldn't help but to smile. "I've just had a bad day, buddy. Go to sleep, okay? I'll be out shortly."

"Meiyo will lay here." He announced. She listened as he plopped himself down on the floor right next to the tub. "Unless Sakura-chan does not want me?"

"Nothing like that, Meiyo. Just…human issues."

"I will stay."

She rolled her eyes, regretting opening her too-big mouth. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be struggling to get off. Sighing with acceptance of the fact that she was indeed not going to being masturbating herself into oblivion, Sakura quickly washed her hair and gave her body a quick rub down with a washcloth, which did nothing to help her arousal.

She moved to grab her razor, but stopped when she remembered Kakashi's reaction to the patch of curls in the vee of her legs. Maybe on the off chance that Kakashi's not over comment she could leave that for another day. So after a quick go of her legs and armpits, Sakura shut off the water and pulled the beaten red towel from the shower rod to dry her off.

She pulled open the curtain and gazed down at Meiyo, who had rolled to his back. His tongue dangled from one side of his mouth, his tail beating happily against the floor.

"Sakura-chan!" He yipped with joy.

She stepped out over him. "Meiyo."

"Let me get dressed and I'll be in. Go to bed, Meiyo."

The pup rolled to his stomach, waved his tail in the air but nodded. "Yes, Meiyo will go to bed now."

Sakura shook her head, dressed quickly and brushed through her hair with a comb prior to exiting the bathroom and turning off the lights. Meiyo lay at the head of the bed, spread across the pillow he had claimed as his the first night she'd had him. He was just too cute to say no to.

"Sakura-chan?" Meiyo asked quietly as she crawled underneath the duvet.

She cracked an eye at him. "Yes?"

"You went with Kakashi-san?"

"Mmhmm. I told you I was going to be at his home. Why?" She rolled over onto her side to face him. He rutted the blanket up with his nose and shimmied underneath it before he crawled up along her side pressing flushly into her as he settled his head on her pillow. She smiled and fixed the quilted duvet over top of them.

Meiyo sighed, "You smelled odd. Unlike Sakura-chan to not smell good."

She smiled and rubbed his head. "Well I smell better now, don't I?"

The puppy gave a light whine in agreement, his tail hammering against her legs. "Oh, yes. Very much better."

Meiyo was quick to fall asleep, his light breathing and the warmth of his body slowly lulling her to follow. She sighed though, sleepy mind racing, realizing as she thought about the gifts on her table that she'd agreed to break into Kakashi's house. How the hell was she supposed to slip those presents under his nose without him noticing? She didn't really want to suffer the consequences of a B and E should someone other than Kakashi catch her in the act. It really would just be easier to walk them in when he was home. Then with a light laugh she thought, who said she needed to sneak them in? She could just walk into his apartment and place them under his tree while he sat on his couch drinking cocoa and reading porn.

So what if he saw her? It was the perfect way to truly put a kink in his belief in Santa. If she did everything right, she could crumble and toss away those dreams of sugar plumbs fairies from his head forever.

* * *

Christmas Eve morning came a week later, personified in the form of an overly enthusiastic Naruto, and dragged Sakura from bed far too early in the morning; so early even that the sun had yet to rise in the sky. Even Meiyo, who was a chronically early riser, used some of his brand new curse words toward the blonde male.

She found herself struggling to stay awake as she slowly dressed, brushed her teeth and combed her hair. Meiyo, grumbling absently, lay out on the heated air vent as he waited for her to get ready.

It would all be over soon. In a matter of hours, Christmas would be over and she wouldn't need to worry about avoiding the lethal disease of holiday spirit for another year. Midnight couldn't come fast enough.

"Oi, come on, Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as he bounded into the bathroom, snow dampened locks glinting under the warm light. "You're taking forever!"

She glared at him from the corner of her eye. "It's too early for this…couldn't we have Christmas coffee later in the day?"

The St. Bernard mix grunted from his spot over the vent. Sakura agreed wholly even though she hadn't a clue what he'd meant. She was sure it was some insult aimed at Naruto.

"No. It's always tastes best when it's from the first pot, now come on." He cheered, practically vibrating with excitement. "Sai and Yamato will be there and you and me and, and Kakashi for the first time. It'll be great!" He left her standing in shock as he ran to the door.

Once she was sure he wasn't going to come back running and throw her over his shoulder, she willingly walked out, Meiyo on her heals. Naruto really didn't need any more coffee. She vaguely wondered that if they bottled his sweat, could they sell it as an energy and performance enhancing drink? Forty-eight hour energy shots, or something.

She slipped into her coat, wrapped her scarf around her neck and followed Naruto and Meiyo out her front door. She smiled warmly as her puppy jumped and licked at the flakes of snow that were lightly falling into the streets. He barked happily as Naruto stooped to scoop up some snow. He promptly formed it into a ball and tossed it into the air. Meiyo leapt up to catch it in his teeth.

"Good boy." Naruto praised the ninkin with a firm rub to his sides. "Boy, we ought to teach you how to hunt men for your master."

"I'm not sure I am understanding." Meiyo tilted his head to the side as they continued on. As compared to the sloshy crunch their boots made beneath them, Meiyo's steps were silent, that is until the owner of a grocery store started clanging her bell for donations. The first hollow sound made him jump and he landed with an inelegant splat. He recovered quickly, however, shaking himself dry.

"Sakura-chan needs to get laid." Naruto teased, elbowing her lightly in the side. In one quick sweep, she whacked him on the back of the head.

"Shut it, Naruto." She scolded. "He doesn't need to hear that."

"Sakura-chan, what is _laid_?" The ninkin queried, curiosity filling his voice.

Naruto cleared his throat to answer. "It means to get fu- err… I mean it means to find a mate. You know, a boy Sakura." He laughed nervously and sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck.

Sakura shook her head and pressed a palm to her face in disbelief as the puppy nodded in understanding. "Mate. I understand now. What does a human mate do?"

"Oh…" The blonde shrugged, "You know. They spend time together, do nice things for each other, and buy gifts, hug and kiss."

Oh god. She thought. Meiyo was as quick as a whip even when he acted like an idiot, and was likely going to pipe up about the Kakashi thing, which she had chewed his ear over the day after. Ha, well it had been a nice secret while it had lasted. Green eyes glanced downward in expectance, but were surprised, however when his big brown eyes looked up at her and he winked. So, he had made the connection. She made a mental note to reward him for his silence later.

"That sounds…odd. People are odd."

Naruto laughed, "Yeah, I suppose. Here it is."

He carried on, placing his hand at the small of Sakura's back as he opened the door leading them into a small newly renovated coffee and pastry shop.

"Hello and welcome to Cups O' Coffee." The young waitress who greeted them, dressed in red skinny jeans and a white blouse, frowned at Meiyo. "I'm sorry, dogs aren't allowed."

Sakura scowled, "He's a ninkin-in-training."

"He's a dog."

"Yes," Meiyo said with a roll of his eyes. "I am."

The waitress's eyes grew wide with shock. "He talks?"

Sakura rolled her eyes this time. "Yes. He's a ninkin."

"She means a ninja dog. He's in service to the village." Naruto stated matter-of-factly as he placed his hands on his hips.

Obviously thinking it too early in the morning to argue with them, the waitress shrugged off Naruto's explanation and muttered a huffy "Just keep him under the table." and led them to a large booth with a round table and brown vinyl cushioned seats.

"We're expecting three others, so we'll wait to order." Said Naruto with one of his bright grins after taking his seat.

Sakura followed suit and watched as her ninkin struggled to fit beneath the table, despite his being a puppy, he was a mixture of three very large breeds and his size wasn't very convenient for hiding, so he opted for simply laying at her feet in the walkway.

It wasn't long before Yamato showed up wrapped in a large, puffy coat with visible sweater layers underneath. His teeth chattered as he crawled to the middle of the seat. Sakura smiled weakly at him and rested her chin in her hand, desperately trying to stave off sleep for just a little while longer.

She just had to remain awake and alert. If Kakashi caught her off guard, who knew what could happen? She didn't want to think of those possibilities. She hadn't seen said sensei in a week – and she feared that over the extended period of time he'd had the means to cook up some potentially dangerous plan to have sex with her and avoid getting on Santa's naught list. He had seemed very adamant about their rendezvous being _far from over_.

Sai arrived moments later, wearing a thick dual colored hoodie and what Sakura presumed to be his pajama pants, as they had tiny little smiley faces all over them and said _happy_ in large white letters plastered across his ass. At least she wasn't the only one who thought Naruto's ridiculous wake up time for coffee was absurd. She stood and allowed him to slip into the booth. He pushed Yamato over to Naruto's side, and within seconds, was dozing lightly on said man's shoulder, drooling slightly.

Maybe that's what would happen when Kakashi showed up. She would just fall asleep on him. At least for the moment, no one had mentioned anything about the holiday. Sakura wasn't sure she could handle that just yet, perhaps after a cup of coffee or two. Or three.

_Bah fucking humbug._

Her eyelids felt heavy. Meiyo and Sai both snored lightly at her sides and she was only too inclined to join them in their slumber. That is to say until she felt all too familiar lips at her ear whispering: "Merry Christmas, _Sakura_."

Meiyo's ears perked, and he cracked an eye at the strange man stepping over him to take the last open space in the booth. She could see him debating whether or not to growl, but his lethargy took over and he rolled over onto his side. But his ear was still standing – he was listening very intently.

"Happy Christmas, guys." Kakashi greeted the rest of them, eye crinkling.

Sakura's emerald eyes widened as she stared in horror at the Santa hat atop her ex-sensei's head. Was he for fucking real? He adjusted it slightly then smiled at her.

"Hey, Merry Christmas, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto laughed as he waved to the waitress that they were ready for their coffee.

Yamato simply waved. Sai grunted as the other jounin pushed him off of his shoulder and wiped at the drool that had accumulated at the corner of his mouth.

The young waitress came to their table, notepad in hand. "How would you all like your coffee?"

Kakashi, Sakura, Yamato and Sai answered in unison: "Black."

Naruto made a face at this and turned to here with big, blue puppy dog eyes. "I'd like mine decaf with two sugars and a little bit of vanilla creamer, please?"

"Coming right up."

"I hate you, you bastard." Sai finally managed intelligible words aimed at Naruto. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah. It's almost five A.M." Naruto replied with a pout. He glanced down at his watch. "Yeah, almost five. See?"

"No, Dickless…" Sai rebuked, "Almost five is when it's _past_ four-thirty."

"I'll show you dickless, you arrogant prick."

Sakura groaned and held her head in her hands as Sai and Naruto began their usual bickering. Yamato slowly sank down between them, trying to hide. She'd have to kill him if he managed to sneak away.

Kakashi chuckled amusedly at her side. "I don't even get a 'happy holidays sensei'?" He inquired. She was sure if she could see those wonderful lips that they would be stuck out in a mocking pout. He probably looked adorable when he pouted. Damn it, she mentally screamed. Sensei you almost fucked, she reminded, who's to say you won't throw yourself on him again?

At least this time around she would have just grounds. And coffee. And witnesses.

"I don't like Christmas." She muttered, taking the mug the waitress offered with glee. She took three quick sips and let out a refreshed "Ahh. That is good coffee."

He frowned, "Really?"

"Yeah, try it." She took another sip.

"I meant you not liking Christmas."

"Oh. I hate it." Sakura admitted easily.

He glared at her for a long moment. "You're a miser."

"I prefer Scrooge."

He gazed at her for a moment, unsure how to react to her answer. Eventually he decided to change the subject. That was probably for the best, she mused. "Meiyo has gotten big."

She nodded in agreement, "You're telling me. Don't let his size fool you though, he's very smart."

"I'm sure, he has a good master. You really shouldn't treat him like a common household dog though, Sakura." He chided, gazing down at the brute of a puppy on the floor. "How will the other ninkin treat him?"

She bristled visibly. "I'll treat him however I want."

"Ninkin are meant to be trained as soldiers."

"He is being trained as one. I don't see a problem with him being just a dog outside of the field." She poked a finger into his shoulder. The nerve this guy had telling her how to take care of Meiyo. She was happy, Meiyo was happy and he was learning. That's all that mattered. "And you're one to talk, Hatake. You have Pakkun around all the time, you even buy him food and dog treats."

She recalled the items of his shopping cart from when she'd bumped into him at the store.

"…Touché, then."

Sakura froze as he smiled at her. It wasn't one of his common eye creasing ones. This one was taunting…and sexy. She soon realized why as his hand closed over her knee, his fingers lightly stroking her inner thigh.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh _fuck._ Not here. Anywhere but here. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit down firmly on her lip as she fought back an excited gasp of pleasure. Why did she like it so much when he touched her? Was it the taboo-ness of the entire situation? His hand slowly crept higher until he reached the vee of her legs. She thanked god for making sweatpants.

Though this didn't seem to deter Kakashi at all because his fingers climbed high until he found the elastic band of her pants.

Meiyo gave a callous growl, ears pinned to his head now. Kakashi gazed down at the dog in realization that he was picking up on Sakura's distress. He smirked back at Sakura. "How much does he know?"

She raised a single pink brow in defiance, Kakashi returning his hand to a safer spot on the table. "Too much. Like I said, he's very smart."

"I see." He looked down at his drink, finished it quickly and stood. "Well, thank you Naruto."

Naruto looked up, Kakashi's words pulling he and Sai from their bantering squabble. "Huh?"

"I really need to get going. I have a few errands I need to run."

"Oh…well… thanks for showing up for at least a little while. Merry Christmas."

Sakura looked up at her silver haired sensei, and was surprised to see him nodding for her to follow. Knowing she'd regret it if she didn't, and regret it if she did, she too clamored to her feet. "I have to leave too. Thank you for the coffee, it was great. Hope you have a good Christmas, in case I don't see you tomorrow."

"All right. G'bye Sakura-chan." Naruto waved solemnly, as well as Sai who was nodding off again.

Tucking her hands into her pants pockets, she whistled for Meiyo to follow as she stepped out into the street with Kakashi. The snow was still lightly falling, slowly dipping down and swooping as the breeze carried it.

They walked along the side of road in a mostly comfortable silence. Meiyo ran slightly ahead of them, jumping and playing with the descending snow.

What was this about, she wondered? He invited her to come along, and then didn't say anything? Well, she wasn't entirely ungrateful for it. It was nice just walking along. Dawn was just beginning to break across the sky in wonderful red hues (though she knew it meant bad weather was coming) and it was peaceful – she could only think of a few things that could make it better. Handholding, and maybe a good-morning kiss but she knew she was getting neither of those from Kakashi, at least not now.

"I was serious the other night."

"I assumed so."

"Is that why you're avoiding me?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'm not avoiding you."

"Then how come I haven't seen you since that night?" He glanced at her with a slight turn of his head.

"I didn't want you to be put on the Naughty List. You obviously didn't want to be." She stated flatly.

He actually grimaced. "No, I suppose not."

Sakura sighed, "Look, Kakashi-sensei, not that I don't want to have this conversation-"

"But with you she doesn't want to have conversation." Meiyo finished as he leapt into the small space between them. "We must go, Sakura-chan. The crazy cat lady in 4-C lets her cats out approximately at this time. I wish to chase the orange one today."

"Crazy cat lady?" Kakashi asked with a light chuckle. "Pakkun sure would get a kick out of that."

Sakura smiled. "…You could come to my apartment…" She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, but she couldn't take them back, "for a real breakfast, I mean."

Meiyo tilted his head at her and she was sure that if dogs could frown, he would. She looked down at him and shrugged.

He rolled his eyes. "Who is Pakkun?"

"My lead ninkin." Kakashi said with a smile as he patted him on the head. "Here." He brought his hands together and quickly formed the summoning seals. He crouched down and pressed his palm flat against the ground. With a dull pop and lots of smoke, the small pug appeared.

Meiyo actually shook with excitement.

"Yo." Pakkun greeted as he held up one paw. "Do you know what time it is?"

Kakashi nodded, "Unfortunately."

Large brown eyes slanted to Sakura. "Ah, Sakura-chan." He sniffed the air. "You aren't using the strawberry shampoo anymore?"

She shook her head. "No… Pakkun." She smiled and patted the dog standing next to her on the head. "Pakkun, this is Meiyo."

The pug stared at the puppy for a moment before gruffly sneezing. "Ninkin."

Meiyo nodded. "Yes." An ear perked and he danced lightly on his large feet. "She's let the cats out. May I Sakura-chan…?"

"Go ahead."

"Why don't I get to chase cats, Kakashi?" Pakkun asked teasingly as they watched the large dog bound after the numerous cats Sakura's crazy neighbor had let out.

Kakashi simply waved his hand forward. The pug followed after Meiyo, snorting with pleasure. They watched as they cornered the orange one Meiyo had been eyeing with relative ease, but the limber cat jumped up to the window ledge, hissed, and then disappeared up the fire escape.

"So, breakfast?"

Sakura felt her cheeks warm considerably at the low, arousing way he murmured the words – and she was suddenly aware that there was no small space left between them. Somehow she got the inclination that Kakashi wasn't talking about food.

"W-what would you like?"

He lifted a hand to his chin in mock thought and gave her a heated look. "I would like a lot of things, Sakura."

She swallowed hard and wondered vaguely if he could hear the erratic beating of her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she was going to either end up regretting the question or congratulate herself for asking it later: "Oh yeah, like what?"

He moved quickly, too quickly for her to react and before she had a chance to register what it was that was happening, Kakashi had her pulled flushly against him by her scarf with his masking hanging loosely around his neck, his lips but a mere breadths width away from hers. She gasped, instinctually pulling back but he held her fast and didn't release her.

"I'd like another kiss." He practically purred, warm puffs of breath dancing across her cheeks. "I'd like to finish what we started."

She damned her weak knees to hell because she leaned closer to him, slanting her mouth against his in an aggressive, teeth jarring kiss. His tongue smoothed against hers, exploring her mouth with frenzied curiosity.

He broke away first, panting for air as his hand smoothed down her side and over her hip.

She gazed up at him with lust and shock. "I take it you aren't worried about making Santa's Naughty List now?"

"Fuck that shit. It got me what _I_ wanted." he hissed, jerking her into another hungry kiss. His words sparked a slight curiosity in her but nothing that couldn't wait.

Now this was the good-morning kiss she was looking for. It was hot and wanted and so sexy. She grabbed his hand and pulled away, tugging him towards her apartment. "Come on…" She murmured, fishing around in her pocket for the key. She jimmied it into the lock with shaking fingers and barely had time to think as Kakashi pushed her in, up against her foyer wall, as he slammed the front door with his foot.

"Hn." She moaned, raking her nails viciously down his chest as he ripped the zipper of her jacket open and pushed the coat over her shoulders. Her scarf followed shortly after. She pressed her lips to his throat, kissing a sharp line from his collarbone to his ear. "I want you, Kakashi."

"I've been waiting all week for this." He managed, cupping her ass before lifting her and pinning her to the wall with his hips. She wrapped her legs around him, her fingers pushing through his hair with abandonment as she kissed him hard. "I've wanted this for so long."

She undulated against him, "Yeah? Should've done this a week ago." She managed, "Do you know how hard it is to get off by yourself when you've got a nosy ninkin poking around?"

"Try having eight of them." He hissed, thrusting his erection up against the vee of her legs. He groaned against her ear. "I want to take you here on the wall."

She gasped, nails biting half-moons into his shoulders. "Mm? We've got all day. I want you naked and in my bed right now."

He nodded, placing hot kisses along her jaw. "We could do that." Kakashi gripped her thighs with his large hands and stepped away from the wall, stumbling through the kitchen as they kissed feverishly, a tongue battle for dominance. He explored the cavern of her mouth with his tongue, running it over teeth and gums and lips.

She grunted as her back met her door and he struggled momentarily with the doorknob before pushing it open and striding toward the bed. Her back hit the mattress and she sighed, watching with heated eyes as he jerked both his sweater and shirt over his head in one go. She sat up, tugging her top over her head as he crawled toward him. He stared at her hungrily, muttering a heated response to her missing bra.

She watched the way his corded muscles rippled beneath his skin and she absently wetted her lips with her tongue in anticipation of the pleasure that was to come. He leaned forward, pressed his lips firmly to her throat and traipsed his fingers up her ribs, stopping when he reached her breasts. "Keep going." She whimpered.

He did so daringly, cupping her breasts with his palms and fingers. He squeezed lightly, murmuring sweet nothings against her collarbone as she writhed against him, crying out softly. Oh, this was what she'd needed. This sort of pleasure was what she'd been aching for. She gripped his shoulders with her fingertips, digging tiny half-moons into his bare skin. His kisses explored the valley between her breasts, his tongue occasionally peeking out to savor her. It felt hot and cold against her skin at the same time and made her arch beneath him with strangled noises of wanton pleasure leaving her lips.

"Those god awful sweatpants need to go." Kakashi hissed with purpose, slipping her pants down over her hips with skillful hands. He smirked at her complete lack of undergarments and lowered himself over her once more. His tongue trailed a hot path from her throat to her navel, earning illicit moans of pleasure before venturing further downward. "So pretty…" He murmured as he lowered his head between her thighs, his nose brushing against the rosy curls between her legs as he placed a chaste kiss to her aching bundle of nerves.

"Ha…" She gasped, pulling his hair desperately, not sure whether she wanted to pull him closer or push him away. "Oh, Ka– kashi."

"Sakura." He breathed. He held her hips down with his hands as he slicked his tongue through her damp folds, tasting her sweet essence.

"I want you inside me, Kakashi." Sakura growled as pulled his hair. "Right now. Finish what we started at your place."

He shifted and loomed over her, his fingers entering her gently. "Jesus…"

She writhed beneath him. That felt good, so good. She cried out as he added another finger, but that wasn't what she wanted. "I want your cock, Kakashi." She panted breathlessly as he parted her knees with his hands, then aligned himself with her.

He filled her with two easy strokes, and braced himself with a hand on either side of her head. He grunted and she moaned softly. They moved awkwardly at first, but their rhythm and tempos soon straightened out and each _in, out _had them climbing higher and higher. The headboard bumped the wall repetitively. She mewled at the delicious friction, crying out his name in broken syllables each time he whispered an explicit sweet nothing in her ear. This was what they had waited a week for, and it was entirely worth it.

Her body thrummed with pleasure as his motions faltered. His back tensed beneath her hands, and a few harder, fast paced thrusts had them both falling over the edge. Stars exploded behind her closed eyelids, and he groaned her name into the pillow.

He rolled to her side a few moments later, panting lightly. "…I wish that had lasted longer."

"Mm." She cracked an eye open at him. "It probably would have a week ago."

He laughed and pulled her closer, arm wrapping around her waist. Softly, he pressed his nose into her hair. "If it weren't for Genma, you would probably still be in my apartment, tied to my bed or something."

She frowned at him. "What does Genma have to do with us having sex?" She had a feeling she knew where this was going… "…You don't like Christmas, do you?"

"Absolutely not." He scoffed. "I hate most holidays. People are too cheery." He sighed and shifted to a more comfortable position, wrapping his arm around her. "No, I made the mistake of making a bet with Genma."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What exactly were the parameters of this bet?"

"He…uh… wanted to get us into the holiday spirit. So, if I could pretend to be one of those Christmas nutcases and sell not only you on that but the other Jounins on the idea that I still believed in Santa; and then, in turn, warm _you_ up to the idea of being merry or cheery or some bullshit, then he would treat us both to a month's worth of dinner at that exclusive place that just went up. As well as be at our disposal for an entire week. If it didn't work out, then it worked vice versa. He never actually left on a mission… to be honest; I think he has just been holed up in his apartment waiting anxiously for my fake-happy to make you real-happy. "

"…So he actually bought you gifts to give to me, to give to you, so that you could pretend to be all ecstatic about Santa being real?"

"Pretty much. I think his plan was to pay you a visit sometime today to see if you were still a 'miser', as he so kindly put it. If you don't mind, I'd appreciate if you could fake a little Christmas cheer."

"Erm, so our having…?" The medic made a face. If Genma had bet him about that, she was going to castrate both of them. with a spoon.

"That was completely you and I. No Genma involved. Well, admittedly maybe a little Genma, he did help me to create a situation in which I could get you all alone, however his motives and my motives were completely different."

She nodded slowly in understanding. _Thank God_. "You refrained from having sex with me that night to win a bet? That's some serious dedication."

"Well I had to make you believe that I believed in Santa. That doesn't mean that as soon as you left my apartment I didn't beat off in the shower to the thought of you." He mused conversationally, as though it were the sort of thing he told everyone. "So will you go along with it?"

How could she not? Genma's reaction would be priceless. In addition, she wanted him at her beck and call. "I may need a little more persuading." She reasoned playfully, kissing just below his jaw. "You said something about a wall?"

His arms tightened around her and rolled them, so he was atop her once more. She shuddered with anticipated pleasure.

"Mm, I may have…." He whispered, grinning deviously and slanted his lips against hers for a brief kiss. "Merry Christmas, Sakura."

* * *

Sakura watched with a smile from the couch in the living room as Genma passed by the window, whistling nonchalantly to himself as he made a slow and steady b line for the front steps.

Sakura rose from her spot on the cushion and made quick work of the Christmas themed blanket Kakashi was lending her by throwing it over the back of the couch. "Where's that awful apron?" She called out to Kakashi, who was busy baking Christmas-y things. "He's coming."

"On the table." He replied.

Oh, they were going to get Genma so good. He was in for the surprise of his life and she could not help snickering quietly to herself as she went to the table and quickly pulled on the apron over the reindeer sweater Ino had given her last year as a joke. "Do you think this will work?"

His head poked out of the doorway. "If it doesn't, then I am not worth my merit as a shinobi." He rubbed his chin and smeared flour all over his mask, earning a high-pitched giggle from Sakura. "What?"

"It's nothing." She laughed; waving him off as she swapped out the last of her ordinary knick-knacks for Santa related ones.

A heavy knock on the door signaled Genma's arrival. With a deep breath, Sakura fixed her hair and the apron and glanced behind her as Kakashi rushed a dish of newly baked snowman sugar cookies to the living room. He gave her a nod and scurried off to the bedroom to hide.

She opened the door, smiled and greeted him with an overly cheerful: "Merry Christmas, Genma."

The senbon hanging from his lips bobbed uncertainly as he blinked at her. Brown eyes dropped to read the words written on the front of the apron. "Erm… Merry Christmas… Sakura."

"Come in, come in." The medic ushered him inside deviously. "I've been baking for Santa. I made sugar cookies, my specialty. Would you like some?" Sakura queried as he guided him into the living room, hand around his shoulders so he couldn't turn and run.

His right eye twitched suspiciously. "I, uh, thought you didn't like the holidays…" Genma sat heavily on the couch and visibly tried to ignore the blanket behind him. "Anyway, I just thought–"

"Weren't you and Iruka leaving on a mission?"

"Yeah, um, it was canceled. What is going on with you? Shouldn't you be spontaneously combusting or something because you have on a Christmas sweater?" He took a cookie and nibbled it. Something was very, very wrong.

She watched with knowing eyes as sweat beaded in bullets on his forehead just beneath the line of his hitae-ate. "What do you mean?"

"You hate Christmas. You're a Grinch."

"No, I _hated_ Christmas. But my eyes have been opened to the truth." Came her earnest answer. It took all she was worth not to lose it.

"…How?"

"Kakashi-sensei." A happy quip. "He showed me the meaning of Christmas. And now I know that you're one of Santa's helpers." Green disappeared behind pink as she winked at him.

"I think you're caught in some sort of twisted genjutsu, Haruno. You're completely mad."

"No, I've just come to see the error in my anti-noel ways. I've come to see the error I've made in many ways…" She lowered herself to the floor on her hands and knees and made sure to give her ass a good wiggle (because Genma couldn't resist looking) as she pulled a wrapped box from beneath the table. Carefully, she put it on the tabletop and pushed it towards him with her fingertips. "I got you a gift, _Genma_." She made sure to accent his name in a way he could not miss.

He swallowed thickly and tugged away the shuriken Christmas wrapping paper with evident hesitation. The box beneath was unmarked and white. He lifted the top slowly, unaware of Kakashi come up behind the couch with a faux white beard and Santa hat.

He blinked at the contents and looked up at her in utter confusion. "But these… are… are your unmentionables…" He managed, lifting a skimpy and lacy thing that might have been panties with the tips of his forefinger and thumb.

"Yes, they are." Kakashi purred with the lowest voice he could muster, throwing his arms around Genma's neck. He kissed his cheek sloppily. "Ask her to put them on."

"What the fuck is going on?" Genma shouted as he struggled to try and tear away from Kakashi's grasp. "Who the fuck is this?"

"It's _Santa_." He breathed, nipping his ear. "And he wants to put your name on his naughty list."

"Kakashi? Is that you?" The senbon using man panicked, kicked, and thrashed against the arms around around him. "Let go of me you freak."

"Put them on, Sakura. Show him his present."

"My…"

Sakura wanted to die of laughter as it bubbled up inside of her. Oh, god, the look on his face. It was so priceless, so worth it. She smirked and slowly untied the apron. "Do you want to see what I've got planned for you, Genma?"

"What the hell did you do to her, Hatake? What did you do? Let go of me, you win. You win. Just let me go."

"Promise to be a good and obedient servant?" He teased, tugging the beard down. Sakura kept up her act and continued undressing.

"Yes, yes, just release her from whatever the fuck it is you have on her. Please. It's freaking me out. Fucking hell."

Kakashi pulled his arms away and his friend did all he could do to escape the increasingly strange confines of Sakura's apartment. The door slammed behind him and Sakura fell back in the chair in hysterics. Arms clutched her sides as she laughed.

"I told you it would work." He chuckled, sitting on the arm of the chair. Kakashi beant forward and grabbed a cookie off of the tray before hooking a finger in his mask and tugging it down below his chin.

"I hope you realise he's going to kill us when he realises that that was all a charade."

He smirked. "Now shall we abuse Genma?"


End file.
